Stella Duffy
Author of Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore
About the Author
Image credit: Courtesy of Serpent's Tail Press
Series
Works by Stella Duffy
Associated Works
Miss Marple : The Complete Short Stories (1985) — Introduction, some editions — 2,755 copies, 46 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1963
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Victoria University of Wellington
- Occupations
- novelist
short story writer
playwright - Awards and honors
- CWA Short Story Award ('Martha Grace', 2002)
- Agent
- William Morris Agency
- Relationships
- Silas, Shelley (wife)
- Nationality
- England (birth)
UK - Birthplace
- Woolwich, London, England, UK
- Places of residence
- New Zealand
Lambeth, London, England, UK - Map Location
- UK
Members
Discussions
Chick lit, two couples, woman with it all loses it because of affair in Name that Book (March 2013)
Reviews
This is a continuation of an unfinished Marsh mystery. It has been on my radar since it was published in 2018 and I was wondering about why I didn’t feel a stronger desire to read it sooner. Was I influenced by my disappointment with the Dorothy L. Sayers continuation, Thrones, Dominations?
Because I can see now that with that book, I had high, and highly specific, expectations! I wanted more of two particular characters and more of their relationship, which isn’t a feature of all of show more Sayers’ other mysteries; I wanted a particular combination of intellectual complexity and emotion, which not all of Sayers’ mysteries contain either.
Marsh was arguably less brilliant than Sayers but much more consistent and more prolific too. I suspect that consequently her style is easier to mimic (and to sustain while also including a successful mystery plot), but even if her style isn’t, I think my expectations were more restrained.
Well. I wanted atmosphere and a clear sense of place. And I wanted Alleyn’s approach to detecting, which relies heavily on conversing with people and provides insight into their different personalities and concerns, whether or not those turn out to be connected to the mystery at hand. But Money in the Morgue delivered all of this!
It’s set in a New Zealand hospital during WWII. Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn of Scotland Yard happens to be on-site, secretly investigating something war-related, when a series of mysteries, beginning with missing money, are discovered. With the hospital cut off by road and phone due to a summer storm, Alleyn steps forward and reveals his true occupation (if not his mission).
I really enjoyed this. I listened to the audiobook, which is also read by Stella Duffy, and I was impressed by her work as both novelist and narrator -- she’s an excellent Marsh imitator. I came away feeling motivated to track down the two remaining Marsh mysteries I haven’t read, and also curious about Duffy’s own fiction.
(One reason to be glad I didn’t read this in 2018 is that I wasn’t very familiar with A Midsummer Night’s Dream then, and so wouldn’t have appreciated Alleyn’s quoting and references in the same way.)
Because I can see now that with that book, I had high, and highly specific, expectations! I wanted more of two particular characters and more of their relationship, which isn’t a feature of all of show more Sayers’ other mysteries; I wanted a particular combination of intellectual complexity and emotion, which not all of Sayers’ mysteries contain either.
Marsh was arguably less brilliant than Sayers but much more consistent and more prolific too. I suspect that consequently her style is easier to mimic (and to sustain while also including a successful mystery plot), but even if her style isn’t, I think my expectations were more restrained.
Well. I wanted atmosphere and a clear sense of place. And I wanted Alleyn’s approach to detecting, which relies heavily on conversing with people and provides insight into their different personalities and concerns, whether or not those turn out to be connected to the mystery at hand. But Money in the Morgue delivered all of this!
It’s set in a New Zealand hospital during WWII. Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn of Scotland Yard happens to be on-site, secretly investigating something war-related, when a series of mysteries, beginning with missing money, are discovered. With the hospital cut off by road and phone due to a summer storm, Alleyn steps forward and reveals his true occupation (if not his mission).
I really enjoyed this. I listened to the audiobook, which is also read by Stella Duffy, and I was impressed by her work as both novelist and narrator -- she’s an excellent Marsh imitator. I came away feeling motivated to track down the two remaining Marsh mysteries I haven’t read, and also curious about Duffy’s own fiction.
(One reason to be glad I didn’t read this in 2018 is that I wasn’t very familiar with A Midsummer Night’s Dream then, and so wouldn’t have appreciated Alleyn’s quoting and references in the same way.)
In the aftermath of twilight Sarah could just make out a black mass of buildings against the royal texture of the hills. Behind the hills, the main range, touched on its pinnacles with perpetual snow, awaited the night against a luminous sky. Although the sun was now below the horizon the cusp of Mount Seager was tinctured miraculously with clear rose. The windscreen of the bus framed a vast landscape quite free of human interest, unscarred by human occupation, moving because of its remoteness. [...] The mountains assumed an incredible depth of blue and the foothills turned more darkly purple. Their margins, folded together in a pattern of firm curves, were faintly haloed with light. The road ran forward into nothingness. The plains on either side of the road and stretching out behind them had taken on a bleached look, seeming to fade rather than to darken as night fell, turning the whole scene into an other-worldly monochrome. Sarah watched the road and her petrol gauge. With one layer of her mind she attended to her job, with another she saw that the landscape was quite beautiful, and yet with another she hunted for things to say to [her passengers.]show less
Stella Duffy’s initial introduction to Theodora of Constantinople highlights her life prior to her rise to the most powerful woman in the land. In The Purple Shroud readers are taken on the next stage of her journey, showcasing the adaptations this remarkable woman had to make in order to be the empress her beloved city needed her to be. Theodora’s growth from the selfish actress trying to improve her lot in life to an empress who puts the needs of her people ahead of her own is as show more amazing as it is fascinating to explore, and Ms. Duffy puts to good use as many historical documents to allow readers to do just that.
Gone are the more salacious elements of the first novel, as Theodora’s machinations no longer involve working on her back as the means to her desired ends. Their absence allows the story to focus on her intelligence, determination, and overall passion for her beliefs. When scenes do take place within the intimate confines of her bedroom, they are all the more poignant for occurring for love and not for political maneuverings or necessity. As many other historic royal couples can attest, royal marriage and love are not necessarily synonymous, making Theodora’s and Justinian’s symbiotic relationship moving and special. Theirs was a true partnership based on mutual respect and an emotional connection that very few upper-class marriages had, and Theodora was one of the few empresses in ancient history who truly ruled jointly with her husband. Ms. Duffy does an outstanding job capturing the rarity of this as well as its importance to their rule.
The one drawback to The Purple Shroud is the religious element. It's not a bad thing but is a very complicated thing. Justinian’s rule was defined by the early Christian theological battle between two distinct beliefs regarding the divinity of Jesus. Much of the book dwells on these verbal skirmishes, which become confusing if one does not have a clear understanding of the theological differences. Making the situation even worse is the fact that even though Justinian and Theodora held opposing viewpoints on this crucial issue, they presented a united front to the people. This means that even while Theodora is scheming to try to bring her “people” to positions of power, she has to support her husband’s choices as well. In other words, keeping track of which character is on which side of the debate becomes somewhat impossible. Unfortunately, it was one of the fundamental issues at stake during Justinian’s reign, so ignoring the details leaves huge gaps in the narrative.
Similarly, as with life at any royal court, politicking is a prominent feature of The Purple Shroud Much like the issue regarding Theodora’s theological struggles, this is one area that requires foreknowledge, or at least a modicum of Internet research, to be able to understand the details and the stakes involved. For fans of historical fiction, these scenes are a fantastic opportunity to learn more about this fairly obscure period in time. For the average reader though, the political and religious machinations can become tedious. This is not through any fault of Ms. Duffy’s though. In fact, Ms. Duffy does all in her power to explain as much as she can without creating pages-long details. While unfamiliarity with the time period and issues of the era does not in any way harm one’s ability to enjoy the novel, to have even the smallest amounts of knowledge do much to enhance Ms. Duffy’s creation.
Living in a time where woman had virtually no rights, in an era that was defined by religious and political upheaval, Theodora’s ideas are about as modern as they could get. Documented through her husband’s policy changes, Theodora was able to usher in an era of women’s rights that allowed the women of Constantinople more freedoms and privileges than those from any other era. From the creation of a sanctuary/nunnery for penitent prostitutes to laws allowing women to hold property, maintain custody, and others providing absolution to those forced into servitude through necessity, much of her reign focuses on helping those who need it most. What she was able to accomplish, either directly or through her relationship with her husband, is simply noteworthy. Ms. Duffy does an excellent job steering the reader through the more mundane but necessary elements of life to focus on the pre-feminist ideas held and changes she wrought.
For those who have ever complained about lack of character development in novels, The Purple Shroud is a must-read because no one evolves as much as Theodora of Constantinople. Her natural ambition and drive, coupled with her background in acting, allowed her to adapt to the necessary changes that becoming Augusta meant. However, as The Purple Shroud shows, she did not accomplish those changes in a day nor without more than a few tears shed. By the end of the novel, the cruel and selfish young woman she was in the first book is gone, and in her place is a formidable, cunning, and yet compassionate woman still driven to succeed but driven to help others and much softer around the edges. Her statement that royalty makes a good (death) shroud is excellent foreshadowing of the lengths she would go to protect her people and an example of the redirection of her ambitions.
The Purple Shroud is a welcome addition to Ms. Duffy’s repertoire as it allows readers to get to know Theodora the ruler as well as they got to know Theodora the courtesan. Her descriptions are vivid and exacting and do much to allow the reader to visual a complete picture of Theodora, her surroundings, and her life. Ms. Duffy manages to weave together the complex politics and theology of the era into an enjoyable fictional history of one of the most extraordinary female leaders ever.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Group for my review copy! show less
Gone are the more salacious elements of the first novel, as Theodora’s machinations no longer involve working on her back as the means to her desired ends. Their absence allows the story to focus on her intelligence, determination, and overall passion for her beliefs. When scenes do take place within the intimate confines of her bedroom, they are all the more poignant for occurring for love and not for political maneuverings or necessity. As many other historic royal couples can attest, royal marriage and love are not necessarily synonymous, making Theodora’s and Justinian’s symbiotic relationship moving and special. Theirs was a true partnership based on mutual respect and an emotional connection that very few upper-class marriages had, and Theodora was one of the few empresses in ancient history who truly ruled jointly with her husband. Ms. Duffy does an outstanding job capturing the rarity of this as well as its importance to their rule.
The one drawback to The Purple Shroud is the religious element. It's not a bad thing but is a very complicated thing. Justinian’s rule was defined by the early Christian theological battle between two distinct beliefs regarding the divinity of Jesus. Much of the book dwells on these verbal skirmishes, which become confusing if one does not have a clear understanding of the theological differences. Making the situation even worse is the fact that even though Justinian and Theodora held opposing viewpoints on this crucial issue, they presented a united front to the people. This means that even while Theodora is scheming to try to bring her “people” to positions of power, she has to support her husband’s choices as well. In other words, keeping track of which character is on which side of the debate becomes somewhat impossible. Unfortunately, it was one of the fundamental issues at stake during Justinian’s reign, so ignoring the details leaves huge gaps in the narrative.
Similarly, as with life at any royal court, politicking is a prominent feature of The Purple Shroud Much like the issue regarding Theodora’s theological struggles, this is one area that requires foreknowledge, or at least a modicum of Internet research, to be able to understand the details and the stakes involved. For fans of historical fiction, these scenes are a fantastic opportunity to learn more about this fairly obscure period in time. For the average reader though, the political and religious machinations can become tedious. This is not through any fault of Ms. Duffy’s though. In fact, Ms. Duffy does all in her power to explain as much as she can without creating pages-long details. While unfamiliarity with the time period and issues of the era does not in any way harm one’s ability to enjoy the novel, to have even the smallest amounts of knowledge do much to enhance Ms. Duffy’s creation.
Living in a time where woman had virtually no rights, in an era that was defined by religious and political upheaval, Theodora’s ideas are about as modern as they could get. Documented through her husband’s policy changes, Theodora was able to usher in an era of women’s rights that allowed the women of Constantinople more freedoms and privileges than those from any other era. From the creation of a sanctuary/nunnery for penitent prostitutes to laws allowing women to hold property, maintain custody, and others providing absolution to those forced into servitude through necessity, much of her reign focuses on helping those who need it most. What she was able to accomplish, either directly or through her relationship with her husband, is simply noteworthy. Ms. Duffy does an excellent job steering the reader through the more mundane but necessary elements of life to focus on the pre-feminist ideas held and changes she wrought.
For those who have ever complained about lack of character development in novels, The Purple Shroud is a must-read because no one evolves as much as Theodora of Constantinople. Her natural ambition and drive, coupled with her background in acting, allowed her to adapt to the necessary changes that becoming Augusta meant. However, as The Purple Shroud shows, she did not accomplish those changes in a day nor without more than a few tears shed. By the end of the novel, the cruel and selfish young woman she was in the first book is gone, and in her place is a formidable, cunning, and yet compassionate woman still driven to succeed but driven to help others and much softer around the edges. Her statement that royalty makes a good (death) shroud is excellent foreshadowing of the lengths she would go to protect her people and an example of the redirection of her ambitions.
The Purple Shroud is a welcome addition to Ms. Duffy’s repertoire as it allows readers to get to know Theodora the ruler as well as they got to know Theodora the courtesan. Her descriptions are vivid and exacting and do much to allow the reader to visual a complete picture of Theodora, her surroundings, and her life. Ms. Duffy manages to weave together the complex politics and theology of the era into an enjoyable fictional history of one of the most extraordinary female leaders ever.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Group for my review copy! show less
This is an odd little book I picked up because I think Tomas mentioned it on The Readers podcast. It reminded me a lot of So Many Ways to Begin by Jon McGregor which came out 2 years previously. They’re both what I call ‘slice of life’ novels. Sure, there is a nominal plot point to be revealed, but it isn’t urgent and not all of the narratives have anything more to do with each other than serendipity and propinquity. The thing that reminded me of the McGregor novel is the fact that show more both main characters save objects that most everyone else would throw away. In Duffy’s book it is a dry cleaner who picks his patrons’ pockets before doing the work and then files the things away just in case someone comes back to claim them. No one ever does and honestly the collection doesn’t have much bearing on anyone’s story, but works as a metaphor on its own.
The story mostly revolves around Robert and Akeel; Robert is selling his cleaning business and Akeel wants to buy it. In a sort of forced apprenticeship, Akeel must spend a year in the shop with Robert to learn the ropes. Slowly the men form a friendship all the while knowing it won’t last beyond the year. Robert’s wife Jean left him 25 years ago with their daughter Katie and has only recently communicated with him and it is not good news. Eventually we learn why they split and it’s a little surprising.
The stories of some of Robert’s customers are interspersed through the novel. Helen, the ex-pat from New Zealand. Dean the bad lad and drug dealer. Marilyn the home health worker who always seems to be eating. Mostly they hold your interest, but I found myself skimming some of Dean’s story.
Surprising also is the amount of racial pre-supposition that lurks waiting to trap the white reader. I admit I didn’t originally conceive of anyone in this book as other than white until explained otherwise. Certainly laid open my subconscious character imaginings. From what I understand it’s pretty common and not just to us pasty pale people. As a matter of fact, there’s a lot of about race relations in the book and it was enlightening and thought-provoking without being preachy. Also concealed are some other situations that I thought cleverly done.Like the whole introduction to Helen’s story leads us to believe she is the trapped wife and mother, but no, she’s the nanny; trapped also, but not equally.
The writing is engaging and she has some interesting turns of phrase like this one on page 62 - “St. Anne’s Residences were built in the 1890s, the work of a handful of London philanthropists, old men nervous of camel’s humps and needle’s eyes.”
All in all a satisfying book about a time and place and the people who live there, work there and are dying of love there. show less
The story mostly revolves around Robert and Akeel; Robert is selling his cleaning business and Akeel wants to buy it. In a sort of forced apprenticeship, Akeel must spend a year in the shop with Robert to learn the ropes. Slowly the men form a friendship all the while knowing it won’t last beyond the year. Robert’s wife Jean left him 25 years ago with their daughter Katie and has only recently communicated with him and it is not good news. Eventually we learn why they split and it’s a little surprising.
The stories of some of Robert’s customers are interspersed through the novel. Helen, the ex-pat from New Zealand. Dean the bad lad and drug dealer. Marilyn the home health worker who always seems to be eating. Mostly they hold your interest, but I found myself skimming some of Dean’s story.
Surprising also is the amount of racial pre-supposition that lurks waiting to trap the white reader. I admit I didn’t originally conceive of anyone in this book as other than white until explained otherwise. Certainly laid open my subconscious character imaginings. From what I understand it’s pretty common and not just to us pasty pale people. As a matter of fact, there’s a lot of about race relations in the book and it was enlightening and thought-provoking without being preachy. Also concealed are some other situations that I thought cleverly done.
The writing is engaging and she has some interesting turns of phrase like this one on page 62 - “St. Anne’s Residences were built in the 1890s, the work of a handful of London philanthropists, old men nervous of camel’s humps and needle’s eyes.”
All in all a satisfying book about a time and place and the people who live there, work there and are dying of love there. show less
First the Money Disappears, Then the Bodies
Review of the Harper Collins paperback (2019) of the original Collins Crime Club hardcover (2018)
Money in the Morgue finds Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn in New Zealand where his creator Ngaio Marsh was able to periodically locate him from his regular duties at Scotland Yard's CID. Alleyn is undercover at a wartime hospital where there is suspicion of spying activity. When the hospital is cut off from the outside world during a storm, the medical show more payroll is stolen and Alleyn is forced to reveal his true profession as being the only policeman on hand to investigate the crime. But then further complications arise as deaths occur and bodies begin to mysteriously disappear.
I very much enjoyed Money in the Morgue for its reenactment of the Golden Age of Crime due to Stella Duffy's perfect continuation of Ngaio Marsh's abandoned few chapters. For whatever reason Marsh abandoned the project (perhaps it seemed too close to a similar spy hunt in Colour Scheme (1943)), Duffy has completed the book extremely well in capturing Alleyn's character and interactions with the suspects. There is even an Inspector Fox proxy character in Sergeant Bix. Let us hope that Stella Duffy continues with further Alleyn mysteries.
Trivia and Link
Read an article about Stella Duffy's completion of Money in the Morgue in The Guardian here. show less
Review of the Harper Collins paperback (2019) of the original Collins Crime Club hardcover (2018)
Money in the Morgue finds Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn in New Zealand where his creator Ngaio Marsh was able to periodically locate him from his regular duties at Scotland Yard's CID. Alleyn is undercover at a wartime hospital where there is suspicion of spying activity. When the hospital is cut off from the outside world during a storm, the medical show more payroll is stolen and Alleyn is forced to reveal his true profession as being the only policeman on hand to investigate the crime. But then further complications arise as deaths occur and bodies begin to mysteriously disappear.
I very much enjoyed Money in the Morgue for its reenactment of the Golden Age of Crime due to Stella Duffy's perfect continuation of Ngaio Marsh's abandoned few chapters. For whatever reason Marsh abandoned the project (perhaps it seemed too close to a similar spy hunt in Colour Scheme (1943)), Duffy has completed the book extremely well in capturing Alleyn's character and interactions with the suspects. There is even an Inspector Fox proxy character in Sergeant Bix. Let us hope that Stella Duffy continues with further Alleyn mysteries.
Trivia and Link
Read an article about Stella Duffy's completion of Money in the Morgue in The Guardian here. show less
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